I think I overdid it.

Rachelle and I started off our day with an easy 8.2 miles with the sunrise. I can’t tell you how much I love the fact that it gets light so early now.

I am starting to think I overdid it in the month of October/early November… within 4 weekends I did a 5k, 10k, 2 1/2 marathons and 4 legs at Ragnar. I know there are a lot of runners/bloggers out there that can handle a trillion races a year but I am not one of those. I am having a hard time doing any speed whatsoever… good thing that I have dedicated the rest of November to slowing down. Way down. (PS my quad is back to feeling 100% after getting it scraped… working on a post about it!)

FYI here is a great list of signs that you are overtrained. It is hard to recognize it in ourselves so lists like this always help me to slow down when I need to.

Note to self: go to Cafe Rio when it is 11 in the morning when it isn’t crazy busy like how it usually is. Usually every table is filled and there is a huge line but not in the morning:) The sis and I split a chicken salad and the girls had quesadillas.

She likes green smoothies. I do not. I would rather have a salad full of spinach and other veggies with a fruit smoothie on the side. I don’t like combining the two.

A sweet leather lazy boy made for kids.

I think I wore Brooke out today because the second we got home she ran into my mom’s room to go cuddle and relax with her.

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Are you a green smoothie person? What do you put in yours?

Have you experienced any symptoms of overtraining recently? Which ones?

How many races do you do on average a year? What can your body handle?

I love making my own green smoothies- I use the frozen fruit mix from Trader Joes (bananas, strawberries and other fruits I can’t remember), a handful of spinach leaves (I put them in the freezer so they last forever), a little bit of honey, some chia seeds, and blend together! Only problem is finding a blender that doesn’t sound like it’s going to explode whenever I make a smoothie…..http://nyviewsnikeshoes.com

MelissaC

Today is better and I have been reading about pulled stomach muscles, if it doesn’t get better in a few days I will go to the doctor.

I’m falling apart. I lose toenails all the time but this time I had a huge blister under the toenail. It’s really gross. Running teaches me something new every day. I did not know this was possible. I am toenail less with a blister on my second toe. Yuck.

I used to overtrain fairly consistently. I used to overdo a lot of things.

I’ve always wanted to be morning person. I think if I went to bed earlier it could happen. Feeling wired at night and sluggish in the morning can be a sign of adrenal dysfunction. It is in my case. Actively working on remedying that.

I could eat Brooke! She’s so cute it hurts. Green juices are my absolute fav! They are a great way to get in more green goodness than you would normally eat :) when it comes to working out I’m a morning person all the way but I’m a night owl for my tv, reading and online fun ;) healthy balance I suppose.

I used to be a morning person (I’ve NEVER been a night person) but throughout this first trimester I became a sleep at every possible second person so it feels like a lie to say a morning person…
In college we used to race hard almost every weekend all during the fall and spring. Plus all the crazy workouts and long runs. Not really sure I would ever be able to handle that again!

I have been experience the last one. I’ve had a cold/allergies that just won’t go away. I usually average 3 to 4 races a year and I’m hoping to add to it. Once I lift my head off the pillow, I’m a morning person. I also consider myself a night owl since most nights I’m not asleep until 10:30 or 11pm and the weekends it is much later.

Marissa

Green smoothies, yes please :) I put in spinach, apple or pineapple juice, blueberries and sometimes protein powder. The blueberries pretty much mask the taste of everything else.
When I was training for my marathon, my overall pace was starting to get slower, rathe than faster and that was my sign to slow down and take an extra rest day.
I’ve done 2 1/2’s this year and a full and I could probably handle another half before the end of the year. Haha, your last two months look like my year ;)
I am most definitely a morning person.

I’m sorry you “over did it”. Try to get some rest in November and you will come back strong and ready for that marathon PR. I’m so sick right now, I can’t even think about running or eating. It’s so sad.

Laura

I’m not a huge smoothie person. I like them as a treat, but not as my meal. I have to be able to chew my food, otherwise I feel still hungry! But anyways, I agree with you, fruit or sweet smoothies only!!

I’m more of a morning person definitely, usually in bed by 10pm. So sad!

I don’t run too many races, mostly cause they’re so stinking expensive. I probably run 6-8 races a year, of varying lengths. I wish I could travel to more races, but that’s even more crazy expensive!!

If so, I had that done last year on my IT band and it worked wonders!!! I am glad it helped you! Take care of yourself, girl- I’m happy that you are listening to your body and not trying to overdo it. :)

I jumped from running 4-5 miles to a half marathon in 4 weeks. I had to take it easy the last week of training because of lower leg pains. I signed up the day of the race because I wasn’t sure I would recover in time. I’m glad I did it. Next time I will give myself more time to train.

Unfortunately I took the pile on the miles challenge too quickly and ended up with ITBS. I’m trying to actively recover from it, but right now it’s hard to run more than a mile without stopping to walk. I love my green smoothies! I look forward to them after a long run or workout. You can’t taste the spinach really. I love banana, spinach, almond milk, cinnamon, and chia seed smoothies.

I’m a very very new runner, so only look at you with awe at the moment. lol But I’m enjoying your blog and find it really motivating. So thank you! :)

Definitely not a green smoothie girl… I can eat a salad, but I just don’t like that spinach in my fruity drink. Even if I can’t taste it, I know it’s there. And I know that sounds silly, but there it is!

yeeees love me some green smoothies now! my husband and i are on a 6 month tour throughout north america so getting veggies in has been harder! i only like the green smoothies if they are sweet though!

no overtraining over here with all this travel…keep taking those naps :) i love staying up late but never love the feeling in the morning. not so much of a morning person but i can be good if i sleep until 8am!

Sam

I’ve had overtraining syndrome, but you know what really caused it? Not so much mileage or intensity–simply undereating for my activity level. Made it SO much worse. I think a lot of women experience this sort of “overtraining” if they’re trying to restrict intake… makes me sad when I think back to how much potential I squandered. At least I get plenty of carbs now, and training feels good. :)

Keighty

Ugh. The sun is definitely not up at 5 a.m. when my children wake up. I used to be a morning person, but man alive, a nursling that doesn’t let you get more than six hours TOTAL (1-2 hours at a time) means I’m just kind of always not-really-awake-but-definitely-not-sleeping.

Green smoothies are okay, but only with spinach. I tried to do kale, and felt lied to. That stuff is bitter.

amy

Oh that picture of brooke is beautiful.
Cracked up at curly lounging on the lazyboy.

Morning person. Way more productive in the morning but I wish I could stay up late too.

No races for me. Never run one.

So glad you are listening to your body and taking care of yourself. Happy that your quad is better :)

I used to drink green smoothies all the time. I didnt really notice anything different. Green smoothies are tricky because if you eat them everyday, u have to be very careful about rotating the greens so your body doesnt get too much oaxalic acid or something like that. I read it in one of my green smoothie books 2 years ago when I was really into it. Im so helpful huh? Cuz im too lazy (im currently relaxing with my baby 3 yr old on my bed) to get up and check my facts. Oh well people can Google it :)

I am a morning person all the way. I have zero signs of overtraining and a million signs of over training. I have fallen off the running bandwagon but plan on hoping back on next week to start my half training!

Macy

I don’t care for green smoothies either. I really wish I liked them but I just can’t.
When I start to feel tired or don’t want to work out I take a day off. Usually by the mext day I am full energy and ready to go! I want working out to be a positive thing in my life. I am in a good place right now and I want it to stay that way!
I have never done a race. I am slow. I am a really competitive person sonI have a feeling it would just make me feel bad about myself. Like I said before, I want running to be something positive that I do for me. I run because it is good for the soul!
I am a morning person. I go to bed pretty early even on weekends.

I definitely hit an overtraining period at the end of this summer which is resulting a bit of hip bursitis that in turn altered my gait and threw my patella out of alignment. So I’m on super cut mileage right now and a lot of PT.

I did three triathlons and five road races in a three month span this summer and that was a pretty solid cap for me. I had some serious post race crash after my last tri. But all things considered I’m already planning an even more intense (but more spread out) race schedule for next year and focusing more on my triathlons than overloading my weekends with short 5k’s and 10k’s.

I don’t -hate- green smoothies, but I don’t exactly go out of my way to make them either. I’m like you — eat my greens and keep my smoothies a lovely shade of pink, yellow, cream, blue, or brown (chocolate). And I’m definitely a morning person… I’ve naturally been waking up at around 4:30 or 5 for so long now, that I can’t even remember the last time I used an alarm clock. The only downside is being completely beat when 9:30 rolls around ;)

I have been posting the exact same things about overtraining – same symptom as you. My feet are really bothering me once I get going, shin splint feeling in both feet but it stops when I don’t run. And yeah, the 10 lb weight attached to feet reference really sums it up. UGH!

julia

I don’t do smoothies, but will do a blizzard. I prefer to chew my food.

Depending on the race distance/effort it takes me up to 2 weeks to get the “lead” out, and because I work full time on my feet and have 2 small children I learned to roll with it. I usually only do about 5-7 races a year.

Definitely a morning person. I usually start work at 4am (sometimes earlier) 5 days a week so being a night person is not an option!

Holly

Definitely think I overdid it last month & this month…the only thing is I have two races in the next two weeks. Not sure what I’m going to do :/ IT band is killing me lately- can barely walk up the stairs, but it kind of feels better once I get 4/5 miles into my run. It’s such a mental struggle to figure out what to do. Right now I’m using patches & Bengay like CRAZY in hopes of better results.

Signs of over training lately include 10 lb weights on my legs and came down with a bad cold. Love green smoothies, love salads and fair separate too. Morning person!! I’m the old lady that goes to bed at 9 p.m. every night.

I loooove green smoothies!! Banana, spinach, vanilla greek yogurt, unsweetened almond milk, and a little vanilla extract. SO good! :) Also really good with strawberries! And I am SUCH a night owl, it’s bad. I wish I was a morning person. I’m trying to train myself to be one, because I love getting stuff done in the morning and it makes you feel so productive the rest of the day!

I love green smoothies, as long as they still taste fruity :) Is that weird?
I have totally overtrained. I have an overuse injury, have been sick and am just tired! Good on you for recognising it and deciding to slow down a bit. It’s hard to do but your body will thank you for it :)

I did 3 races this past year and they were PLENTY. I was aiming to PR in them, not just run for fun. This year I only have one marathon planned but would like to get out and do some more trail races for fun. Trail is a lot more gentle on my body. Rest up! Us runners looooooooooooove to over train!

Macalla

Thanks for posting the symptoms of over training. Even though I’m not training for anything right now. I am planning to do another 1/2 in early May. But lately I have been feeling 3 of the symptoms which means I should probably just lay low.

Not a green smoothie fan at all! Looks weird :).
I am kinda a morning and night person….I guess more night though. I am like a 11-6:30 or 7 person :). It’s kinda an in the middle…not super early or late.
I can over train…I thought for sure 2 marathons in 2 weeks would do it to me…but I seem to be doing okay so far! I plan on taking it easy for the next month though before I train for anything. Before this season I would only ever do 2 marathons a year. I will throw in a 5k or 10k every now and then but only maybe a couple. Last spring I cut out the marathon and did a half instead. The only distance that really worries me is the full, I seem to have no real trouble with other distances. I know to take it easy after a race and usually take a few extra days off or SUPER easy after.

I’m 100% a night owl. Which will be lucky for me because once I finish nursing school there’s about a 110% I’ll start out working nightshift. Also, I’ve been meaning to try green smoothies, but honestly am a little nervous about them.

I love green smoothies. I don’t have them very often lately, but I do have regular smoothies and I add vanilla protein powder and a scoop of egg protein powder.

I have tried and tried to be a morning person. I can get up and go to work early if needs be but to get up and run or do something like that…nope..not going to happen. I work too weird of hours for my body to buy that. I love Utah winters because I can run at 2pm! My fav!

I LOVE green smoothies! The trick is to mix the spinach with fruits you really like. The fruity flavor will overpower the spinach. I do spinach, mango, pineapple, coconut milk and almond milk.
I am definitely a morning person. I’m usually up around 5 am. I love the quiet me time to myself. I read blogs, have my coffee and take my time before I head out the door around 7 :)

I’m not a big fan of green smoothies. Plus I always find the spinach goes bad before I get to use any significant portion of it making me feel like its a waste… There is a smoothie place at a place I love to run at though that makes an awesome green smoothie:)

I think I’m a morning person, except that I have a hard time getting out of bed in the morning (I guess that might disqualify me, huh??)

Runningwithscissors

Have you experienced any symptoms of overtraining recently? Which ones?
-Pretty much all of them. I just finished my first marathon almost 4 weeks ago…took a week off, then resumed like nothing happened. Everything hurts and I have not been able to get to the same speeds.

How many races do you do on average a year? What can your body handle?
-This was my first full year of running. So far, I have done 12. There may be a 13th.

Are you a morning person or a night owl?
-I am a mid-day gal lol. I suck at both.

I have no problem with green smoothies – my view has been that if I can’t taste it, why not? Might as well throw some extra veggies in there.
I think I’m right in the middle on the night owl/morning person thing. I’m usually in bed around 11 or 12 and up between 7 and 8, so not particularly early or late.

I did 3 this year and I think that’s a good amount for me right now. We’ll see what next year brings. That marathon training wore me right out!
Yay for Cafe Rio again haha Love green smoothies. and Curly hanging out in the lazy boy. I feel like she and I would get along just fine!

I have never tried agreen smoothie but would be willing to!:),I pretty much love most foods!
I have definitely been lacking in the motivation dept- I need some pep in my step and since my marathon on 10/20-,I haven’t exactly been chomping at the bit like I normally would. I know that’s normal; but I want my old me back! But you’re right, it’s great to listen to our bodies so we don’t overdo it.
I usually two two marathons a year- I’ve already decided that my 2014 goal is to do 14 races- I don’t know which ones for the half’s yet- but I’m def going to do the. Hyannis marathon (full) and I’m signed up to run 2014 Boston :)

I have ventured back into the 5K distance for the past six months, but my race schedule for 2014 will probably include 3-4 marathons and various half-marathons. The most I’ve done were three marathons in a year, and I did start to feel the burnout.

I’ve never had a green smoothie, but will certainly try it at least once. I’ve been very brave with my food branch outs lately, and am quite proud.

Tammie

I tell people I’m not a morning person and that is why I get up at 5 am everyday to get my workout in and then I can tolerate the voices of the people I love. I guess I need some alone time and some endorphins flowing first. Another symptom of over training I recognize is being tired but restless and unable to sleep. This is the time of year that it is common to feel tired in Ohio anyway but when I’m restless and can’t sleep I know I need to start paying attention to my body.

I love chocolate, banana, peanut butter smoothies. I can’t race back to back. I’m impressed at your racing this past month. An easier month will be good for you!

Susan

I am a complete morning person! Not really into green smoothies but haven’t tried many. I like to chew rather than drink my food! And yes, I get over-trained. I try to compare to those that can do more and it just gets me frustrated. I have to remember to follow & trust my own plan. For me this means really cutting down on what I do on x-training days. The run days are most important to me so on the days I am not running, I try not to push myself. In fact, today will be weights + 1/2 hour swimming and that is it (oh yeah, time in the hot tub). Hoping by tomorrow I feel ready to run again! Thanks for another awesome blog post!

I used to consistently run 50-60 miles a week with no problems. I’d run a 20 miler on Saturday and a 10 miler on Sunday and could go weeks without rest days. As I got older…28 lol, I kept getting injured. Now I keep my mileage at 40 miles a week and can stay healthy.
I just googled Cafe Rio to see where the nearest one is…2 states away :(

I love green smoothies. Kale is my favorite. My puppy loves eating the stalk of the kale… We use it as treats! Even my dog demonstrates healthy eating ;)
I am definitely not overtrained- I have a stress fracture in my foot near my ankle and I have to wear a big black boot. I’m thinking of putting a big bow on it for the holidays and trying to make the best of a depressing situation :(